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Exports of handmade products from Kashmir have crossed the Rs 300 crore mark in the first quarter of the current financial year, which is the highest for the period in the last four years, an official said on Saturday. "In a major fillip to Kashmir's famed craft sector, hand-made products worth Rs 309.62 crore have been exported to various overseas destinations in the first quarter of the current financial year -- up from Rs 126.90 crore in the same quarter last year," an official of the Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir, said. The exports are the highest for Q1 in the last four years, the official said. The Department is targeting craft exports of over Rs 1,500 crore during the current financial year, provided global conflicts relent. "Higher exports of craft products to overseas destinations secure the welfare of Kashmir's famed artisans and weavers," the official said. Last year, craft products worth Rs 733.59 crore were exported, largely affected due to various glob
Kashmir exported its famed handicraft and handloom products worth Rs 2,567 crore in over last two fiscal years, officials said on Sunday. This export figure is expected to touch Rs 3,000 crore by the end of this fiscal year (March 2025). "The world-famous handicraft and handloom products worth Rs 2,567 crore have been exported from Kashmir valley in the last two financial years and the first three quarters of the current fiscal(2024-25)," an official said. However, the exports in the current financial year have been hit by global conflicts. As per the figures available with Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir, while Kani and Sozni shawls exports stood at Rs 1,105 crore, hand-knotted carpet shipments were worth Rs 728 crore in the last three years. The other products exported include crewel, papier mache, chain stitch and wood carving. The officials said the department would facilitate the export of hand-made Kashmir products for which a subsidy scheme is available, givi
The government in its coming Budget must extend fiscal benefits under the PLI (production linked incentive) scheme to sectors such as handicrafts and leather that can create more jobs, Deloitte said on Sunday. It also suggested that the existing PLI schemes must continue in sectors that have seen success, such as electronics, auto and semiconductors. The government in 2021 announced PLI schemes for 14 sectors, including telecommunications, white goods, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, high-efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell battery, drones, and pharma, with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore. Deloitte further suggested that to improve global liquidity (once the Western central banks start easing their monetary policies), the government can raise the ceiling for investment size and remove location restrictions to attract more foreign investment. "Multi-brand retail and e-commerce are some sectors that may benefi
The Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj is proving to be a significant platform for artisans of Uttar Pradesh. Officials estimate a turnover of about Rs 35 crore for the handicraft industry during the 45-day fair. After taking a dip in the Sangam, people are also visiting the 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) exhibition set up across 6,000 square metres area. The exhibition showcases an array of exquisite handicrafts, including carpets of Kushinagar, zari-zardozi work, Firozabad's glass toys and Varanasi's wooden toys, among other things. Joint Commissioner of Industries in Prayagraj Division, Sharad Tandon, said a remarkable growth in business is expected this time over the last Kumbh held in 2019. "In 2019, the turnover was Rs 4.30 crore, but this time we anticipate a turnover of up to Rs 35 crore. This remarkable increase will offer new opportunities for employment and empower small entrepreneurs," Tandon said. Besides, the online marketplace Flipkart has set up a stall in the fair area w
The Gujarat government announced on Wednesday its new cottage and rural industries policy, offering higher loans and subsidies to artisans and entrepreneurs to set up units in the state. Minister of Cottage Industries Balwantsinh Rajput, who unveiled the policy in Gandhinagar, said it will facilitate the creation of nearly 12 lakh jobs over five years. The new policy was introduced after the five-year validity of the previous scheme ended, an official release said. The New Cottage Policy 2024, which will remain in force for five years, aims to develop a self-sustaining cottage industry sector and open the doors of local and international markets for artisans, the minister said. Under the policy, the state will work towards the availability of credit and market support to artisans and focus on infrastructure, skill, technology upgrades and innovation, Rajput said. To encourage new industries and businesses, the state government has increased the maximum loan amount under this schem
Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar on Tuesday inaugurated a digital platform dedicated to enhancing market access for artisans from the marginalised communities, including SCs, STs, OBCs, safai karmacharis, Persons with Disabilities and minority communities. Launched under the guidance of the National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the platform called Tulip aims to connect India's skilled artisans with both domestic and global markets. Speaking at the launch of Tulip during the Shilp Samagam Mela held at Dilli Haat, the Union minister emphasised the government's commitment to fostering financial independence among India's traditional craft workers. "Our aim is to bring people from the marginalised communities, including SCs and safai karamcharis, into the mainstream. We are working towards their empowerment, making them aatmanirbhar (self-reliant)," he said, adding the ...
Buyers from more than 100 overseas countries are visiting the 58th IHGF Delhi Fair with over 3,000 exhibitors showcasing handicraft items like housewares, furniture, gifts and decor, lighting and leather bags. The five-day event, which will end on October 20, is being organised at the India Expo Centre & Mart on the Greater Noida Expressway. Buyers from over 103 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK and the US, have pre-registered to visit the fair. At the inauguration ceremony, Suresh Khanna, Minister for Finance and Parliamentary Affairs in the Uttar Pradesh government, said it is a "great opportunity for ODOP (one district one product) manufacturers from the state to showcase their products as well as artisans and exporters from all across the country to ..
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has presented its tableau in 'Bharat Parv 2024' at Red Fort in New Delhi, encapsulating its developmental leaps and rich cultural tapestry with a focus on its handicraft industry and saffron cultivation. The nine-day Bharat Parv, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, is being organised by the Ministry of Tourism from January 23-31. As part of the event, seven Republic Day tableaux showcasing different cultural tropes from Karnataka, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir are on display at the fort's lawns. The front section of the tableau presented by Jammu and Kashmir brought to life the legend of Raja Jambu Lochan with a poignant depiction of a tiger and a goat drinking water together, symbolising the harmonious inception of Jammu city, an official spokesperson said. This scene also heralds the newly inaugurated Jambu Zoo, the first full-fledged zoo in the UT, a haven for wildlife set amids
An investment of Rs 1,000 crore is expected in the handloom and handicraft sector over the next four to five years, a senior official of the Union Textiles Ministry said on Thursday. Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Amrit Raj said there are around 35 lakh artisans across the country and the government wants to do much more for the sector. She made the remarks during a visit to 'HGH India', a bi-annual trade show for home, gifts, and houseware, at the India Expo Mart and Centre in Greater Noida. "In the DC Handicrafts office, we are spending around Rs 300 crore a year on the sector. It's a huge sector. Though we try to give end-to-end support, we also try to focus more on the marketing component and the design innovation component because the artisans are skilled and they know their job," Raj said. "The only challenge is how to make it more market-friendly, like identifying the changing trends and changing needs of today's consumers. So, average that out
A centre to promote indigenous crafts of India and contribute to sustainable cultural economy with a vision to achieve self-reliance was launched here by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design (ABCD) has been named 'Project Aatman'. It is housed in a colonial-era barrack on the premises of the Red Fort complex in Delhi. The centre was inaugurated along with the maiden India Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB), which will be open to the public from December 9-15. Modi launched the centre with a click of a button from a dais set up in temporary pavilion at the venue. Project Aatman is helmed by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Culture. The IGNCA has "set up the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design (ABCD) to pave the way for a sustainable cultural economy derived from the indigenous crafts of India by empowering the artisan communities with new designs and ...